A Buyer’s Guide to Understanding DSR and Feedback

The following information is provided to eBay buyers to help understand the new eBay policy changes and how they affect sellers.  Since these changes are sweeping and affect the future outlook of every seller on eBay, it is essential that all buyers, new and old, understand how the decisions they make in regards to feedback and specifically DSR (Detailed Seller Rating) can make a difference in whether their favorite sellers will remain on eBay or be forced to move somewhere else.

DSR (Detailed Seller Rating)

“As of November 1, 2008, sellers will need at least a 4.3 across all four DSR categories, over the prior 30 day or 12 month period depending on volume, in order to list on the site." -eBay

This section is to inform buyers of just one thing in regards to DSR ratings. Regardless of what you may have believed, or what eBay tells you when you are leaving feedback, anything less than a 5 star rating in any of the categories is worse than leaving a negative feedback.
Yes, you heard that right. In eBay’s own words to buyers, they tell them a 4 star rating is good when suggesting what to leave a seller. However if enough buyers rank a seller with 4 stars, they will not be able to sell anymore on eBay.  So for all your future purchases, when leaving a DSR rating, ask yourself if the seller should be allowed to remain in business or not in regards to the transaction you had. If you believe they should remain on eBay and in business, leave them a 5 star rating. If you believe that they should not be in business or allowed to sell on eBay, leave them anything less than 5 stars. Because that is exactly what eBay is implementing and how extreme your DSR rating will affect sellers.

Feedback

Feedback is now a tool specifically for buyers to leave their experience summed up in one sentence for the transaction with the seller.  eBay says it plans to allow feedback to be changed soon by the buyer after it has been left, so hopefully now it will be more accurate since lots of feedback is left in haste, before allowing the seller to correct whatever went wrong with the transaction.
Feedback left for buyers no longer has any value. Many buyers have realized this and complained to eBay. Many more have not realized this. The simple fact is sellers can only leave positive feedback. This makes the amount of feedback a buyer has or its percentage worthless. Understand that in 12 months time, every single buyer on eBay will have 100% positive feedback. Then perhaps all buyers will realize how meaningless their feedback score has become, all thanks to eBay’s new perspective. eBay believes that the only obligation a buyer has is to pay for the item. However, they have removed the ability for a seller to leave negative feedback if the buyer does not pay. This has created increasing amounts of non-paying bidders, which in turn hurts sellers bottom line forcing them to increase their prices, which then hurts the good, paying customers. If you would like to make eBay a better place for buyers and sellers, let eBay know that you believe that non-paying bidders should be left negative feedback. Not only will this create a better environment, but it will also lessen your competition from bidders who have no intention of paying, and thefore can bid whatever they like.



Note to Buyers
Contact the seller if there is a problem with your item to allow them the chance to fix it. Do this before leaving feedback. Many sellers, after feedback is left, will simply add you to their Blocked Bidders list and be done with you if you leave negative feedback. The reason for doing this is feedback is supposed to be left when the transaction is completely over. By leaving feedback you are saying that the transaction is finished and many sellers will act accordingly to that.

Thank you for reading this guide to eBay’s new DSR and feedback changes. I hope it has been informative. If you would like to see these policies changed, I suggest sending eBay’s new CEO a certified letter. An email will also do, however you may have to respond back to the automated message you get after sending the first email before an actual person will read it.